These little guys have finally made it to usethings store. They are a simple coat hook made from production off-cuts of recycled or plantation hardwood. Fix to a wall with screws supplied; the screw holes are filled with contrasting timber plugs (buttons), also supplied. The ‘man’ outline designed by our young son, re-purposed by Lucy […]
Nosey parkas arrive at the store Read More »
No don’t throw them out. A new pair of socks sadly lasting less than 12 months. Yes you can blame toenails but why do some socks last and others don’t? Short lived socks need toenails like computers need viruses – a good reason for failure that distracts from questions about design and construction… I digress…
What we are trying to do in usethings store calls for conscious consumption, which is a little strange to attempt in retailing! usethings store is simple and small, we have created a situation where we can experiment with our ideas and not be forced to stock stuff just for the sake of turnover… with its
A new kind of retail Read More »
Stuff should last… you buy things to perform a function and they should do that for as long as possible… generations even! This is the aim of usethings designed products and the products we stock in usethings store. Durability is one of the key tenants of sustainable design. Design it to last to reduce the
We are celebrating the opening of our store this Saturday with the launch of two new designs. More details here next week. The new designs will sit within the collection of products that include some of usethings established pieces, and products that are in harmony with our philosophy. One aspect that we have become aware
usethings launches two new designs this weekend Read More »
If it is not useful or necessary, free yourself from imagining that you need it…* I expect we sound a bit wacky with our approach to retail, our store will be more of an installation than a shop; one that is experimenting with a new story around consumption. We are looking at products that meet
Industrial designers Manu Rapoport and Martín Sabattini from Designo Patagonia are making products with local materials and craftsmanship that is culturally relevant. The Matero stool on Martín’s head is for sitting low and chatting while sipping maté, an everyday social ritual in Argentina. This is bringing design home, not the mass produced and bland ‘making
Embodied water it’s called – meaning how much water was used, or consumed, to make something. A rule of thumb for water consumed in a constructing a building is: embodied water equals ten times the volume of the building. For example, a one cubic meter building will have consumed ten cubic meters of water in
The water cost of electricity Read More »
Corporations, famous for profiting by “externalising” aspects of their business operations, are now having to internalise these aspects. These aspects are problematic, costly, and sometimes dangerous to deal with responsibly. “the solution to pollution is dilution” the good-old engineers used to say. CSR or corporate social responsibility is requiring the real costs of things like:
Externalising and CSR Read More »
How to contribute to society in a way that is valued enough to make a living but is perhaps outside the mainstream (read unsustainable)? This is the adventure of usethings illustrated in part 1 through some of the deliberations around sustainability in producing our hero product the drying rack. A bit of back story first…
Adventures in sustainability part 1 Read More »
ABC radio national broadcast an excellent panel discussion on EV’s. Views of an EV owner (recent purchase of a Blade from Castlemaine) and EV industry interests, including an IC motor enthusiast. Its worth listening to when the podcast is a available to get up to date on the big picture – transport and infrastructure. http://www.abc.net.au/rn/lifematters/stories/2010/2981368.htm
Life Cycle Assessment. More people will be hearing about this in the future, as verification of environmental claims become important to producers and we become better at understanding and using LCA. LCA is exacting and complicated – it also costs allot of money to asses impacts from raw material extraction to end of life. Here
From IDSA promotion for a seminar Design is changing…spreading from the studio to the streets! It’s happening in Portland to a degree that you can’t see YET in the rest of the nation. If the next decade is about local, authentic and personal, Portland is a window into the future. Portland also serves as both
usethings adopts the Designers Accord – we: Publicly declare participation in the Designers Accord. Initiate a dialogue about environmental and social impact and sustainable alternatives with each and every client. Rework client contracts to favour environmentally and socially responsible design and work processes. Provide strategic and material alternatives for sustainable design. Undertake a program
Adopting the Designers Accord Read More »
Sustainable warranty: if a product fails in less time than the resources/materials to make it where amassed (or could be replaced) then it falls short in sustainability. I suspect the bigger the shortfall the bigger the profit.
Sustainability warranty Read More »
Sustainability (design) making the invisible visible – Andy Polaine, Core 77 A reason not to do or use things that might be justifiable technically or financially – Polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) is an excellent heat proof oil and plasticiser – but also a Persistent Organic Pollutant. The continued healthy balanced co-existence of the technoshpere and biosphere
Sustainability definitions (a loose and growing collection): Read More »